Always live on a hill

[conny]

People are so greedy for land in this country though that they are building on known flood plains and hoping the local flood protection will stop them being flooded.
When are they going to learn, you may be able to use nature but you sure as hell will never control it.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

What annoys me is our local council. The frosts have now begun, we've had widespread flooding this year and yet the local council still haven't been round to sweep the leaves from the gutters so that they're now forming a lovely slithery mulch underfoot (even worse with frost on top). When it rains the drains are blocking and overflowing..... The reason? Council cutbacks! And there was me thinking that there were statutory duties, government funds for road maintenance, etc. I forsee loads of local problems in weeks to come

 

[conny]

What annoys me is our local council. The frosts have now begun, we've had widespread flooding this year and yet the local council still haven't been round to sweep the leaves from the gutters so that they're now forming a lovely slithery mulch underfoot (even worse with frost on top). When it rains the drains are blocking and overflowing..... The reason? Council cutbacks! And there was me thinking that there were statutory duties, government funds for road maintenance, etc. I forsee loads of local problems in weeks to come

Get the local brats on ASBO's to go round brushing them up as a punishment.
Oh no wait. They won't be allowed to work out in the cold because they have rights. What was I thinking!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

People are so greedy for land in this country though that they are building on known flood plains and hoping the local flood protection will stop them being flooded.

I can remember Colchester council fighting this very thing 40 years ago - they repeatedly refused to allow developers to build on the River Colne flood plain below the old town (which stands on a hill). More recently hundreds of houses have been built on the flood plain and are at risk from flooding (some have been victim to it). I'm told that this is because one developer made a succesful appeal to the Secretary for State. Of course those who've been flooded want compensation - from the very same council which refused so many applications

 

[conny]

Their solicitors/conveyancers should be made to pay if they have been flooded. It is their duty to find out these things in the Land Searches. If there is any possibility a house has been built on such a site it is their moral and legal duty to say so. Then the buyer can decide if they want to go ahead but if they do then they face the consequences alone.

 

[AronSearle]

(council not cleaning drains) The reason? Council cutbacks!

"Lancashire County Council holding £110million in reserves"

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...nty_Council_holding___110million_in_reserves/

You'll have to check recent figures (above is 2010), but this is a common occurrence.

Councils over the country are hoarding their surplus and cutting front line services and crying poverty.

Cut's from the government to councils have not yet occurred, they kick in "now" till 2015.

I suspect councils are doing this deliberately as a game of brinkmanship with the government, make things look bad and then maybe they won't see so much cuts, then they can release that money.

What makes me think that?

I spent all of a few seconds googling Lancashire council to find some part council funded company where they are hiring a "business development manager" for 60K.

But they can't afford to keep the streets clean, yea right

if i were to buy such a house then i would think surely the necessary checks had been carried out..

After all, it's only a couple of hundred thousand for a house, hardly worth the effort of checking yourself.

 

[conny]

Regarding your last statement, thats what you pay a solicitor/conveyancer to do on your behalf.

 

[AronSearle]

Regarding your last statement, thats what you pay a solicitor/conveyancer to do on your behalf.

Only to a point.

You are putting your life's fortunes on the line, if they make a mistake it just affects their insurance premium.

finding out things like the building construction method (so you can avoid anything with known issues), flood areas, local planning applications and any recent additions are things you should do yourself (or double check up on)

Buyer beware.

 

[EddieM]

There was an article in the Daily Fail today (so it's probably bound to be borlocks), that was intimating that a deal between insurers and the government to ensure that householders in areas of in high risk of flooding areas could get insurance, backed up by government money, was due to end next year, leaving 200,000 homes uninsurable.

Few things here, why the hell is my tax money paying for daft sods who buy homes on flood plains?

Why on earth is planning permission given to build on know flood plains.

As I say live on a hill, preferably right at the top of it!

 

[Diane2]

There was an article in the Daily Fail today (so it's probably bound to be borlocks), that was intimating that a deal between insurers and the government to ensure that householders in areas of in high risk of flooding areas could get insurance, backed up by government money, was due to end next year, leaving 200,000 homes uninsurable.

Few things here, why the hell is my tax money paying for daft s***s who buy homes on flood plains?

Why on earth is planning permission given to build on know flood plains.

As I say live on a hill, preferably right at the top of it!

calm down dear.....

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I know someone on a hill that gets flooded in heavy rain - through the back door and out through the front. Runs down the hill like a river.

Maybe the advice should be to 'Always live on a high spot on a hill' (like what I does!!)

 

[gas112]

Re street and road flooding as opposed to rivers.
Scotland gets more rain than the rest of Uk but you dont often see the flooding that occurs in England after heavy rainfall .
Does Scotland have a bigger standard of drainage ? not sure how true but heard there drainage is half the size again as what is fitted down south ie 9 inch as opposed to 6 inch.
With the Government telling and taxing us about climate change surely all new developements should have the drainage designed larger than is at present to help the problem also once in it should be kept clear and clean

 

[RigidRaider]

You'd have to be some kind of moron to buy a newly-built house that was on a flood plain, surely? The presence of older roads in the neighbourhood with names like Watery Lane would be a bit of a clue, I guess.

Somebody told me that the reason why Britain has so much flooding is that we no longer dredge our rivers for coastal navigation - could this be true?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Somebody told me that the reason why Britain has so much flooding is that we no longer dredge our rivers for coastal navigation - could this be true?

Not up here in the Pennines 700 feet and more above sea level it isn't! And we've had quite a bit this year

 

[ABCwarrior]

Re street and road flooding as opposed to rivers.
Scotland gets more rain than the rest of Uk but you dont often see the flooding that occurs in England after heavy rainfall .
Does Scotland have a bigger standard of drainage ? not sure how true but heard there drainage is half the size again as what is fitted down south ie 9 inch as opposed to 6 inch.
With the Government telling and taxing us about climate change surely all new developements should have the drainage designed larger than is at present to help the problem also once in it should be kept clear and clean

Nahhhh.....The big problem down south is flat land and clay soils. No quick run-off or drainage through the soil (Is that Hortonian overland flow when the rate of rainfall has exceeded infiltration capacity, Or Hewletts saturation overland flow?) Up here, we've got rocks, sand, gravel and a bunch of trees. There are some lowland areas and they can flood too under extreme conditions, but I'd say we live in a landscape shaped mainly by ice, rivers and rain therefore the water doesn't hang about.
Building on floodplains is the main problem. This can be managed in new developments by making the ground floors into garages etc, keep all electrics and services above this on the first floor with living accommodation- get a flood warning? Shift the cars etc to higher ground...let it flood, drain and dry and no damage done to your living space. Or a house on stilts like in asia....! Few folk gonna have a mega sh*t Xmas....Glad I'm not one of them...